Portland's parks bureau has finally refined its last estimate for what it will cost to spruce up Chapman and Lownsdale Squares—home, for nearly six weeks, to Occupy Portland's Alpha and Beta Camps.

The current tally? An oddly symmetrical $85,850. (And, says spokesman Mark Ross in a statement, that doesn't include some $45,000 in staff and material costs spent during the occupation of the parks.)

The biggest chunk ($28,000) is related to what looks to be a total reconstruction of the restroom at Lownsdale Square, along SW Salmon Street. The next biggest chunk ($16,500) will pay to repair seven benches at the two parks and replace two others.

Meanwhile, parks officials (publicly) and some cops (privately) had worried about finding piss and shit and and drug needles and generator-fuel in the muck, something that could have dramatically raised costs. The good news is that no soil contamination was found.

How much does the city spend in a normal year to maintain the two parks? I've got a message into Ross and I'll update when I hear back. Update 2:15PM: Ross replied about an hour ago that, from September 8, 2010, to November 7, 2011, the parks bureau "spent just $653.14 for aeration, fertilizing, and irrigation at Lownsdale and Chapman Squares." I've now asked whether that's all the cash spent on the parks in that span.

Update 3:10PM: Ross replies:

No, there are costs for mowing, irrigation/lawn sprinkler maintenance and repair, litter pickup, garbage removal, contracted restroom cleaning, building and bench maintenance, light systems maintenance, shrub and tree care, hard surface cleaning, and leaf removal. Safety inspections possible too.
I will look into the costs for that.

Stay tuned...Update 3:40PM: Ross says the costs for the above list of work, from September 2010 to October 2011, comes to $897.31 in materials, and $18,485.19 for labor. Not chump change—but only a fraction of what Parks is currently estimating.

It should be noted that Occupy Portland has offered its hands and time (and money) to help with the cleanup. The Portland Parks Foundation has raised $33,000 so far in a fund that most supporters of Occupy seem to be using. As the Mercury reported last week, the vast majority of those giving to the fund overwhelmingly support the movement.

Update 2:50PM: Occupy media volunteer Reid Parham offered a tart assessment of what the parks looked like before Occupy Portland settled in: "The pre-occupation condition of the Lownsdale Square men's restroom included nonfunctional lights and sinks, various human excretions on the floors, and heroin-abusing inhabitants. I hope [Parks Commissioner Nick] Fish intends the parks’ 'restoration' to surpass the previous status quo."

A full breakdown of the costs is below the cut.

Continue reading »

People keep insisting Occupy Portland is running out of gas. Occupy Portland—and others will disagree whether this a good or a bad thing—keeps proving those people wrong.

Saturday, December 3, is looking like another Big Day for the movement. Occupiers on Monday night voted to hold a massive rally that afternoon at the Salmon Springs Fountain, and then march to a new campsite at a still-secret location. The plan has been weeks in the works, but organizers are closely guarding the details lest police get word of what's coming.

Bring your tents, your sleeping bags, and prepare yourself for a night of non-violent protest while we celebrate the reoccupation of another park with live music and a showing of the film Meltdown: The Secret History of the Global Financial Collapse. Bring your own musical instruments, hula hoops, food for the potluck and positive attitudes! We will be having a Reoccupation Open Forum starting at 2PM at Salmon Springs Fountain at the south end of Waterfront Park. THEN WE MARCH, starting at 3PM, to occupy another park! We have our committees, our working groups, and our experience from the previous occupation. We have a plan, we have sustainability, and we have security culture.

But while there was consensus at the meeting where this idea was approved, it should be noted there's hardly consensus among the broader movement. Comics journalist Matt Bors, a Mercury pal, was live-tweeting last night's Occupy spokes council meeting and reported that some occupiers, especially the group's women's caucus, aren't so sure the new "security culture" will do enough to solve some of the safety concerns that emerged in the previous camp.

The reoccupation rally comes hours before a town hall on the future of Occupy Portland at the First Unitarian Church downtown. The church has been a staunch Occupy ally, helping occupiers find housing after the eviction and hosting meetings before and after. The town hall, which needs RSVPs by Thursday, is planned for 5:30 PM.

Beyond that, Occupy Portland has joined a call issued by Occupy groups up and down the West Coast to shut down Pacific Ocean ports on December 12. And there is also a tentative proposal to storm Chapman and Lownsdale squares on December 6, tear down the fences that remain in place some two weeks after the eviction, and start raking all the leaves and cleaning the place.

Update 2:45PM: Mayor Sam Adams' office says "all parks rules will be enforced at all parks," and that no structures will be allowed. However,"demonstrating is allowed during the hours parks are open, as long as all park rules are followed."